Winch and the like



Oct. 26,1948. Q F. GAYE 9 WINCH AND THE LIKE Filed March 21, 1945 I 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Iipvezviof Oct. 26,1948. F. GAYE WINCH AND THE LIKE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21, 1945 Oct. 26, 1948.. F. GAYE 2,452,297

7 WINCH AND THE LIKE Filed March 21, 1945 I v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N [guuumggw g magnumimuuuummlmm1mg? FEIPIX EAYE Patented Oct. 26, 1948 WINCHAND THE LIKE Felix Gaye, Broadmoor, near Dorking, England ApplicationMarch 21, 1945, Serial No. 583,891 In Great Britain June 10, 1944 5Claims.

' This invention relates to winches, winding drums and other apparatusin which a cable, wire, thread, or like flexible member (herein generically referred to as cable) is to be wound under tension on to a drum,former, or other winding member.

With the arrangements hitherto adopted it is impossible to achieve acorrect paying-on of more than one layer of the cable (that is,paying-on with adjacent turns closely and evenly arranged) without theuse of complicated mechanically driven pay-on gears. Such faultypaying-on is due to a sideways component of force on the cable which,with a central pull, is a maximum at each end of the drum and a minimumat the centre and which causes gaps to occur between successive coils.

The object of the present invention is to achieve correct (orpractically correct) paying-on without the necessity for the use ofmechanically driven paying-on gears.

According to my invention I provide between the winch drum or othermember on which the cable is to be wound and the load or tensioner, a

rotatable lever or strut, mounted on a pivot, and

one end of which acts as a guide for the cable throughout the windingoperation. The axis of the pivot is in, or near to and parallel with,the

imaginary plane passing through the centre of the drum at right anglesto its axis. The exact position of the pivot, and the length of lever,and the imaginary plane through the arc of its swing, are determined bythe size of the drum and the geometrical considerations of designgoverning correct paying-on, and will vary according to whether thewinding mechanism has a horizontal or vertical spindle, or a spindleotherwise disposed to all of which the invention is applicable.

The invention also consists in paying-on gear according to the precedingparagraph in which one end of the strut or lever is counterweighted tocounterbalance the weight of the fairlead or other cable engaging deviceat the other end of the lever.

mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a diagram illustrating the principle on which the inventionoperates.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the application of .the invention to awinch on a vehicle.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing in detail one form of paying-ongear in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a section on a larger scale of the lower part of theswinging arm shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an adjustable lever.

Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Figure 6, in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a pivoted frame for supporting the lever.

A brief explanation of the principles underlying the invention may firstbe given by reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings showing theinvention applied to a vehicle.

Imperfect paying-on of the winch rope is due to a sideways componentforce in the plane of the base of the winch-drum D--where the rope payson-and the fixed central roller R. For a given load hauled this force isdependent on the angle between the position of the rope on the drum andthe rear fairleads G of the vehicle. It is clearly greatest at eitherextremity of the drum, and progressively decreases towards the centre ofthe drum where it is instantaneously zero.

Suppose now the rope is set at one extremity A of the drum (Figure l)and pulled taut by a load P through the rear fairleads G, it will takeup an angle 0 max. determined by the width of the drum. If the drum isnow rotated and the rope moving towards the centre, gaps between thsuccessive coils will be caused.

To avoid these gaps it is essential that the rope should approach thebottom of the drum at right angles to the drums axis of rotation, but toachieve this end the rope has to be pressed sideways and outwards tosome arbitrary point A with a force P sin 0. equivalent to the componentset upby the change in position, as shown by the dotted lines inFigure 1. Referring now to Figure 2, the pendulum swings in a verticalplane, the centre line of the pivot in plan passing through the centreof the winch drum.

The lower extremity of the pendulum, to which afairlead is fitted,applies the lateral force necessary to press the rope outwards untilit'is at right angles to the drum.

Since the pivot of the pendulum is raised above the rope level, thenwhen the lever is pressed outwards to displace the rope, there will be arestoring couple Pia: about the pivot centre tending to bring theextremity back into the position of equilibrium of the rope. In Figure 2this couple is counter-clockwise as viewed from the front of thevehicle. 1

It is clear that, for a given position, this couple can be balanced by aclockwise couple, Pvy, by using the mechanism to depress the ropedownwardsga's w ell a 'outwards'for in that: case a vertical componentPD is induced, with a leverage y about the pivot. It will be noted thatthe rod of the pendulum then becomes a strut to accept the radial thrustT up the rod on the pivot.

Also that the fact that the rope is depressed I downwards-whilealtering: itsv tangential approach to the drumdoes not invalidate itsability to pay-on at right angles to thedrums axis of rotation, which isthe pre-condition for correct paying-on for any of the various'positionsof coils on the drum. s-Luis: easy to see that, ,by due attention to thegeometr y of. the system; the equilibrium of the pendulum atrightanglesto the drum with the rope at one or other extremity can beestablished.Now the pendulum has no effect .on the rope when it. reaches the centreof the drum, as there .is then no lateral -force attempting tostraighten the ropepandflalthough the vertical force is greatest it hasno'moment about the pendulum In carrying my invention into practicaleffect -i r 1 ;one;convenient.;manner as, for example, in itsapplication to a vehicle provided with a hauling winch D, the cabletowhich passes through fairleads G arranged in line with the centre ofthew winchdrum and under a roller R disposed between; the fairleads' andthe winch drum, I

.mount on a 'bracket !,-secured toany convenient part of the vehicle apendulous lever 2, adapted to swing in a vertical plane and the lowerend of which-is provided .with a roller fairlead 3, or higher. deviceadapted to engage the rope or cable "4. j 'lherupper end of thependulous lever above the pivot is provided with a counterweight 5 to,counterbal anc1 the, weight of the fairlead at the lower end of thelever and any suitable provision may beimade for adjusting the length ofthe pendulum and, also the position of the counterweight; for example(Figs. 6 and 7) the pendulous lever may be in the form of a threaded rod2---a threaded in a nut 2-b formed in the pivot 2- and the counterweight5-a may also be ,threadcd'on to the upper end of the pendulum rod; 2-a,suitable lock nuts 2d being provided for holding the pendulum rod 2-'aand counterweight 5a in any position to which they may be adjusted. Itwill, however, be understood that this is merely one example and is notgiven by way-,ofi limitation since I may employ a telescopic or'otherarrangement for the purpose. For example, as shown in Figure 5 of thedrawing, the lower part of the pendulum may be replaceable, being heldin position by the retaining screws 6. Alsoyithe position "of the pivotin the vertical centre line may be made adjustableit being 4 drum, andit will clearly also be in equilibrium at the centre of its swing whenthe pendulum will have no efiect upon the rope since there is no lateralforce attempting to straighten the rope and although the Vertical forceat this point due to depression of the rope is at its maximum such forcehas no moment about the pendulum ivot.

In order to relieve the pivoted member 2 of all torsional stressthroughout its'swing and particularly at the extremities of the swing,the guide member 3 may be mounted in a thrust bearing 33 (Figure 4) sothat it is permitted to oscillate about the axis of the member 2.

It is not deemed necessary to go in detail into the mathematical andtheoretical considerations involved but theoretically if the apparatusis set for correct paying-on for one layer it will not'be absolutelycorrect for other layers of the rope and the further the layers are fromthat designed to pay-on correctly the greater the error of the system.In practice, however, if the apparatus is designed so that the rope ispaid on cor- .rectly on an intermediate layer, then according to thewidth and size of drum, and diameter of the flexible member, severallayers can be paid on toall intents and purposes correctly, and in thecase referred to, i. e. a vehicle winch, at least five or six layers canbe accommodated without error.

As indicated above the pendulum arm may be counterbalanced so that itsweight on the winch rope has .no directive effect towards the centre ofthe drum, and in fact for very light loads,

such as is. provided, for example, by a tensioner device (for paying-onunder, no load conditions) it is perhaps desirable that a slightout-of-balance bias be given to the pendulum by raising thecounterweight so that there is a verysmall tendency for the leverfairleads to press the rope outwards towards the extremity of the drum.In this connection it is important that the rope or. cable be associatedwith a tensioner device for paying the rope on under no load conditionssince the gear will not operate unless the winch rope is stretched.

In Figure 1 there is shown-a tensioner device consisting of a carriagehaving two rollers 8, 9 thereon, the carriage being connected by atension spring II, to a lever I2, which may be set in either of twopositions inwhich the tensioner will be operative or inoperativerespectively, according to whether the cable is pressed against a thirdroller 10 or not.

In some cases (Fig, 8) the pendulum device may be pivoted in a frame Ia.which itself is pivoted about an axis lb at right angles to the pendulumaxis so that the inclination of the latter to the vertical may be variedas may be necessary, particularly when winding thread or like material.

It will be understood that the foregoing details are given purely by wayof example to indicate the nature of the invention, and one of itsapplications, but the invention is applicable generally towthe windingof cables or like flexible members on to drums or other winding members,and the details ofconstruction may be variously modified depending uponthe type or construction of apparatus to which the paying-on gear is tobe applied or any practical requirements which may have to be fulfilled.1

I claim:

1. Paying-on gear for winding apparatus of the kind referred tocomprising a horizontally disposed winding member, a tensioner for thecable, a member between said winding member and said tensioner pivotedat a point above the winding member so as to be freely swingable in themanner of a pendulum in a plane substan tially parallel to the of saidwinding member, and means on the lower end of said pivoted pendulummember and situated at a point lower than the winding member to engagethe cable throughout the winding operation.

2. Paying-on gear according to claim 1 in which the cable engaging meansat the lower end of the pivoted member is vertically adjustable relativeto the pivot point of the member and is also mounted for oscillationabout the axis of said member, an extended portion on the member abovethe pivot point, and a counterweight adjustably mounted on the extendedportion to counterbalance the weight of the cable engaging means.

3. Paying-on gear according to claim 1 in which the pivotal axis of thepivoted member lies.

in a plane substantially coincident with the imaginary plane passingthrough the center of the winding member at right angles to its axis,and means for adjusting the length of the lower portion of the pivotedmember.

4. Paying-on gear for winding apparatus of the kind referred tocomprising a winding member, a tensioner for the cable, a member betweensaid winding member and said tensioner pivoted so as to be freelyswingable in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of said windingmember, means on said pivoted member to engage the cable throughout thewinding operation, a frame in which said pivoted member is pivoted, andsaid frame being movable angularly about a pivot whose axis is at rightangles to the pivotal axis of said pivoted member.

5. Paying-on gear for winding apparatus according to claim 1 in whichthe cable-engaging means on the pivoted member is mounted foroscillation about the axis of said member.

FELIX GAYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 190,811 Bevelander May 15, 1877782,103 Bruner Feb. 7, 1905 1,393,436 Feriani 1- Oct. 11, 1921 1,797,331Dale Mar. 24, 1931 2,305,380 Trott Dec. 15, 1942 2,336,684 I-IendricksonDec. 14, 1943 2,372,232 Thornburg Mar. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 526,852 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1940 667,788 France Oct.21, 1929

